Toyota Prius AWD-e: Going light on the rear motor helps it hit 50 mpg

2019 Toyota PriusThe all-wheel drive version of the Toyota Prius introduced last week at the LA Auto Show earns an astoundingly good EPA fuel economy rating of 50 mpg combined—nearly as good as the 52 mpg earned by much of the Prius lineup (LE, XLE and Limited). But the system isn’t nearly as capable as the one you might encounter in Toyota’s...

Electric cars from Audi, Porsche: Explaining platform magic

Audi e-tron GT Concept, 2018 LA Auto ShowIt would be unthinkable for any automaker but Porsche to introduce a new car with a flat-6 engine hung out behind the rear axle. At this week’s 2018 LA Auto Show, the 2020 Porsche 911 duly made its debut in the hallowed configuration that has persisted since 1964. But with underpinnings specific only to one model, the new 911 is a major...

2019 Kia Niro EV rated at 239 miles, on sale soon

2019 Kia Niro EVAt the LA Auto Show, Kia has provided some long-awaited U.S. market details for the Niro EV. Among the most important ones: With a large 64-kwh battery pack, it will offer an EPA-rated range of 239 miles. The Niro, which Kia describes as a “multi-function crossover format,” is built on a dedicated green-vehicle platform shared with the...

Mitsubishi Evo rally sedan morphs into electric crossover concept

Mitsubishi e-Evolution concept, 2018 Los Angeles Auto ShowElectric power has come to drag racers, hill-climb cars, and Formula E racers. Why not rally cars? At least that's Mitsubishi's idea with its new e-Evolution concept that debuted Wednesday at the LA Auto Show. Unlike the winged sedan that took the off-road rally racing world by storm 15 years ago, the new model is an electric SUV. READ MORE: 2018...

Toyota Prius AWD-e earns 50 mpg with all-weather treads

2019 Toyota PriusIf you want one of the highest-mileage non-plug-in vehicles on the market—like the Toyota Prius, Hyundai Ioniq, Kia Niro, or Honda Insight, there’s been one quite significant deal-breaker for many Snow Belt families: All-wheel drive simply isn’t a possibility. That’s due to change very soon with the 2019 Toyota Prius AWD-e...

VW updates I.D. Cargo Buzz with solar for LA Show

Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo conceptCargo vans look to be the next big opportunity for electrification, as they can save a lot of pollution with all the time and mileage the spend on the road. At the LA auto show, VW updated its I.D. Buzz cargo van concept into the ultimate delivery or contractor van, with a high-powered electrical outlet, solar power, and at least conceptually a...

2018 LA auto show preview: 10 green-vehicle intros that matter

Volvo's Most of the major auto shows, like the Los Angeles auto show, have always had two components: news-making and car-selling. And it’s the second part—the public days—that thrives today. People are attending traditional, consumer-focused auto shows in record numbers. Counterintuitively—in this day when much of new-car research...

Jeep Wrangler Plug-In Hybrid to go into production in 2020

Mopar-modified Jeep Wrangler features all-new items from the performance parts catalogLooking back at last week's Los Angeles auto show media days, one new vehicle sucked up a disproportionate amount of attention and airtime. That would be the new 2018 Jeep Wrangler, a once-in-a-decade redesign of the iconic off-roader that's the linchpin of the Jeep brand image worldwide. While the new Wrangler itself had long been...

Hyundai Kona, Nissan Kicks: New small crossovers storm the market

2018 Hyundai Kona and 2018 Nissan KicksTen years ago, the subcompact crossover segment barely existed. Now multiple automakers are clamoring for your attention as each brand rushes to bring its own take on the small utility to market. At this week's 2017 Los Angeles auto show, Nissan and Hyundai revealed two new models that will vie for buyers' attention in the burgeoning segment...

2019 BMW i8 coupe, new Roadster: larger battery, more range

2019 BMW i8 Roadster, 2017 Los Angeles Auto ShowThere's a new drop-top electric sports car in town. Three years after the BMW i8 coupe began rolling off the assembly line in Leipzig, Germany, the Bavarian automaker is giving its alternative flagship a breath of fresh air by opening it up. Revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the new 2019 BMW i8 Roadster arrives five years after the debut of...